Method of and means for vaporizing fuel for internal-combustion engines



W. M. HARRISON METHOD OF AND MEANS FOR VAPORIZING FUEL FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED AFRv 21. I92I- Patented Aug. 15, 1922.

' dated April 26th, 191.93

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HARRISON-,8, subject of, the Kingfof Great, Britain and j Ireland, ,re'sidin "at Cheshunt,

' Herts', England,--have-invente an Improved Method of, and Means for- Vaporizing Fuel for InternalCombnstion' Engines (for WIhIGh I have-filed an application in G1eat" B r1tain" NE 10,419).,"of which the following a specification; v As is now, well known ,many proposalshave been made toapply heatjtoflfuelinv tended to. be admitted tointernal combus tion engines in order to enable starting to; beeflected quickly in cold weather or in cold climates and to allow of the}; use of heavy cheap fuel of relatively low flash-pointt -Of these roposals', such as make 'useof electrical lieatin means possess many oints'of consumed andin construction. A convenient.

advantage a though none thereofave become popular ma nly because-as heretofore constituted, to be efiwtive they are relatively costly'both as regards amount of 3 energy plan is to arrange for the heating of thelin duction-pipe or airinlet pipe but except n cases where --elect rical heating-elements are appliedinot only to the induction ipipe but also to other arts such as the carburettor or cylinder lies which is expensive and complicatedtheresults obtained are not satis factory, because theknown proposal'ofapplying alremovable electrical heater to pipes or connections for the purpose. of'heating the fluidtherein or passing ,therethrough" would not be satisfactory for the purpose above referred to unless precautionflbe taken to prevent the cooling of the fluid after it has passed; the heater, and also loss of 'heat by radiation and convection from the 615-" osed surface of the'pipe, it not beln feasi- E for reasons of economy, to ma -the heater large enough to secure a temperature which, without this recaution would enable an engine to be rea ily started. I

The object of the present invention therefore is to provide efiicient means for the purpose referred to and it consistsin the employment of an electrical heater ofrelatively small capacity, and I simple construction 7 which can be applied to any convenient part provision of 1a laggin exposed portion-both engine and {between the-"heater and carburettor so that there is nodetrinieutal n eans'areshown as applied to-lthe hiduction .;p1p e- 1- but, as willibe understood they may :necte'd at; their ends topegs c1 projecting "cure the tween the heater and 1921. m m,- m aaaa astoid Letters.rat'eint. "Paten ted "Lu gi- 15v,"

of; theheat'ed fuel, air. or pipe. I l Fig.-- 1 lot. the jaccompanyin drawings shows i n.-c'entral sectional elevat on one com 'embodyin the invention. 1g.,2 s ows the apparatusinplan.

-' In this construction theimproved heating,-

besimilarly{applied to the air inlet ipe of i the I carburettor instead of to the in action pipe. The heating means are constituted by anumber of electrical resistancecoils b 0011- from rings (Z of earthenware, porcela1n or other insulating material mounted" on the induction' pipe a-lthe position of the lower, ring. @1 bein determined by a split collar e secured to t e pipe. Above the upper ring 03 thepipea is suitably lagged or covered with asbestos, "felt or "other heat insulating material 7, to prevent loss of heat b radia-' 'tion. For conveniencein placing t e rings d in position on the pipe .a, eachrmg' is preferably made in halves, hinged together at g and to enable-"the rings to fit the pipe a-aiote withstanding slight variation in s ze', a'packing. strip of-asbestos 0r otherasuitable material that willyield to's'ome extent, may be placed between thejmeetin edges ofthe twoparts of -thefring althoug such a packing, strip is not-shown Jonthe drawing. a The resistance coils b. of, each half ring (1 are connected in series, series parallelor in parallel (according to the avialable electromotive force) and to positive and negative terminals,h and i respectively, andlto maintain the part rings closed as well as to electricall vconnect the} terminals of the two half dlscs together, brass or copper hooks j I pivoted to the terminals ofthe one half disc are adapted to engage the terminals ofthe other half-discs,

l The rings 1 are grooved" at late receive the ends of a metal enclosing cylinder l1 which may also be madein two 'artsheld; togetheras b cli bolts m, an which is.

'lined with as 'stos, felt or, other .Inatcrial '1 adapted to-prevent loss of heat. Nuts go on screws projecting from the metal enclosing i cylinder Z. through holes in the rings d Se pgrts together.

It will understood that considerable variations in detail of construction may be'11 0' ruction .by Wa f xample of apparatu 6 made without departure from the invention and that means of any appropriate type such as an electric lamp, or bell, or an indir cator disc'that may be coated with a luminous substance in order' to be visible at night, may be rovided to indicate when the heater is in action so that waste of current may be it may be preferable to make them of metal and suitably to insulate'the terminals and resistances as will be understood.

The necessary current ma be drawn from any suitable source of e ectrical energy available.

What I claim is:- p

1. The herein described method of supplying gaseous fluid to an internal combustion engine in heat augmented condition which consists in passing the fluid through a conduit, electrically heating the condult, and preventing loss of heat rom the fluid by radiation from the conduit after the fluid has passed the heating zone, substantially as described.

2. In an internal combustion engine, a fluid conveying pipe, an electrical heater applied thereto, and la ging between the heater and the engine w ereby the radiation of heat for the pipe'is reduced and. the fluid after passing the heater prevented from becoming again detrimentally cooled.

3. In an internal combustion engine, an induction pipe, an electrical heater encircling a portion of such pipe and removable therefrom without having to dislodge the induction pipe, and lagging around the remainder of the pipe between the heater and the engine, for the purpose described.

4. In an internal combustion engine, a pipe encircling electrical heater, comprising a pair of diametrically divided insulating The carrier,

rality of rings mounted in separated relation, each ring having an annular groove, the groove of .one facing the groove of the other, re-" nular groove, the groove of one facing the groove of the other, resistance coils extenddivided enclosing cylin er adapted to be carriedin the grooves of the rings, means for clamping the parts of each ring to its corresponding part, and independent means for connectin together the thus clamped rings and cyfinder parts, substantially as described.

6. A fuel heater for an internal combustion engine, 'or the like, comprising diametrically divided insulating rings ada ted to be mounted upon-a pipe in separate relation, a diametrically divided cylindrical casing sup orted between the rings, a plueating elements supported between the rings and within the casin a heat retaining element carried by the caslng, and

means adapted to be mounted beneath the device for supporting it in operative position. i

7. A heater for a fuel inlet suppl pi e or the like, comprising a diametrically divided cylindrical chamber supported upon diametrically divided rings, means to clamp the rings and chamber together, means to support the device upon a pipe, and a pluing between the said rin s, a diametrically I ralit of electrically heating elementswithin the evice, for the purpose described.

Signedat 18' Caven'dish Square, London, W. 1', this 6th day of April, 1921.

WILFRID M. HARRISON. 

